Passionately For Pina

It was wild and mystical at the same time. It also magically encapsulated the passion of the artist the performance was dedicated for. For Pina…, a performance in homage to the German choreographer Pina Bausch, was put together by the Bangalore-based Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts (ACMA) on February 2 at Qutb Shahi Tombs. Pina, one of the biggest names in the global contemporary dance scene, had succumbed to cancer in June 2009.

Department of Tourism, Archaeology and Museums, Government of Andhra Pradesh, collaborated with Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad in organising this site-specific promenade performance. This means that while the performers moved around utilising the space of the magnificient heritage site, in a choreography that was not confined to a stage, the audience shifted with them too.

Jayachandran Palazhy, trained at Kalakshetra, Chennai, and the London Contemporary Dance School, choreographed the performance. The theme was man-woman relationship in a contemporary context, a favourite of Pina too. Jay, also the founder of ACMA, had worked with her when she toured India.

Jay’s team of dancers, who oozed energy in every sense of the word, was a delight to watch. Like possessed spirits unconscious of their bodies, they soared far and wide. Draped in sensuous red, they illustrated perfectly how a performance that comes from the depths of artistes’ hearts can invigorate the souls of even those who are not trained in art.

The sound technology put to use was out of the world. Hyderabad has probably not seen before speakers shaped like dolphin, snail, horse and what not! Live Electronics specialists Lorenzo Brusci and Luca Cnciella created a surreal environment with their compositions and fancy gadgets. A video installation designed by Chris Zeigler formed the perfect background for the act. Particularly, the effects for the part where Jay enacted drowning were breathtaking.

The event, which was inaugurated by Information and Public Relations Minister Dr. J Geetha Reddy, also had Jayesh Ranjan IAS and Padmasri Dr. Ananda Shankar Jayant as Guests of Honour. Ananda also introduced the troupe and the act to a limited but keen audience. The performance was followed by the screening of a documentary on Pina Bausch.

It's Numaish Time, Folks!

Malls and multiplexes may have taken Hyderabad by storm. But gargantuan crowds still flock to the Nampally Maidan annually in January – February to participate in the old world charm that it hosts. That is the magic of the mela that Hyderabadis fondly call Numaish.

In its 69^th year now, the all India industrial exhibition is as much a part of Hyderabadi culture now as Biriyani. One that started with just 50 stalls in 1938, the ‘Numaish Masnuaat-e-Mulki’ has sure grown beyond the wildest dreams of its founder, Mir Osman Ali Khan, the seventh Nizam. This year, there are close to 2500 stalls with participation from our neighbouring countries as well. However, Pakistan, one of the most frequent participants, is missing in action.

The exhibition has a plethora of choices for shoppers. There are dedicated sections for anything you can think of - Bengal cotton sarees to Kashmiri Pashmina shawls, dry fruits to electronics, leather goods to ceramic ware – with a minimum of ten to fifteen stalls in each one. In case you run out of cash in between the shopping spree, just pay a visit to the SBI ATM near the exit. Most Numaish shops still believe in taking paper money for their goods!

The mini-train that takes riders for a journey through the exhibition ground attracts kids and elders alike. There are other joy rides like giant wheel as well. Multiple food courts, chaat bhandars, ice cream parlours and juice counters help you cool your heels when tired of walking at length.

Visitors form a diverse bunch here – some are regulars, some are first timers. All have a good outing for a cheap price though. The entry fee is just Rs. 10 per head. “This is my sixth time here. Though many of the products are available outside, this is like a one stop place for everything under the sun. They often give good bargains too,” says Geeta Rao, a resident of Hyderguda. The Exhibition Society uses the ticket income to support over 18 educational institutions in Hyderabad and surrounding districts thus reaching 35000 students.

Numaish is eagerly awaited by sellers as well. They travel from different parts of the country for four to six weeks of hardcore business. “This is the money spinning time of the year for us. Hyderabadis spend a lot here. It seems more like an emotional connect than a budget decision,” quips Alam Khan, a carpet seller from Kashmir. Many other sellers backed Alam’s opinion that the effect of recession has waned considerably.

The advantage of Numaish is, of course, bargain prices. Follow the mantra that ‘bolne ka daam’ is usually the double of ‘dene ka daam,’ and you are sure to land some good deals. Even if you intend only window shopping, there is every chance that you will fall prey to the sheer variety available. Give yourself an opportunity to do so. The deadline is February 15^th!

Mayakkam Oxymore Takes Hyderabad By Surprise

It was indeed surprising - a very pleasant one; for it is not something that Hyderabad has ever witnessed before. Non conformist dance interwoven with magnificent use of light and sound resulting in 90 minutes of pure magic – that was Mayakkam Oxymore in one line for you.

Sangeeta Isvaran, the lead dancer and choreographer combined her expertise in Bharatanatyam with some street style and finished it with some fine ballet moves too. Sangeeta, an alumnus of Sarojini Naidu School of Performing Arts, UoH, respects tradition. “But classical forms have to grow and be connected with society,” she said. Her co-dancers Lakshya Rajesh, Thilagavathi Palani and Nancy Boissel complemented her perfectly in the dramatic journey that ventured to explore the feminine self.

The world famous hip hop graffiti artist Marko 93 painted the stage with multiple hues as the dancers performed. This style, which puts to use coloured LED bulbs and wands, was developed by Marko himself. The real time projection of lights mixed with the images on the screen and the performers on the stage produce a splendid effect of optic dynamics.

Cyrille Brissot loves rendering music through computer. His addiction with technology came live on stage when he produced an array of sounds that was far from the soothing dance accompaniments that we are used to. Mind you, it was not a playback of a pre-recorded piece. They were reactive sounds produced live based on expressions of dancers who often improvised while on stage. He is also the one who co-ordinated Marko’s light, Sangeeta’s moves and his sounds by switching among multiple softwares, cameras and consoles.

Mayakkam was performed at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre on 14^th January in connection with Bonjour India. It is a festival organised by France across Indian cities from December through February to reaffirm its friendship through cultural association.

Many among the audience were heard saying that the performance was highly abstract and confusing. It is bound to happen because, as a city, we are only waking up to alternate forms of entertainment. But if the instinct to deconstruct and demystify is kept aside, nobody would have a disagreement on the awe they experienced through the performance.

Destruction Of Differences Is The Death Of Democracy – Dr. Dibyesh Anand

Being seduced by Hindu Nationalism without being aware of it is a huge threat that young Hindus face today, said Dr. Dibyesh Anand while delivering a lecture on ‘The Myth of Tolerant Hindus’ on January 6 in connection with the Centre for Integrated Studies (CIS) Lecture Series.

Dibyesh, who is a Reader in International Relations at the Centre for the Study of Democracy at University of Westminister, London, also emphasized that the attempt of Hindu Nationalists to make Muslims live on Hindu terms is against the spirit of democracy. The day differences become undesirable, democracy comes under serious threat.

The speaker, who has authored a Routledge publication called ‘Tibet: A victim of geo politics,’ said that an attempt to study Gujarat riots led him almost naturally to Hindu Nationalism. Use of identity politics by creating a Hindu Self and a Muslim Other and an extreme reductionist approach of representing all Muslims in a stereotype of terrorism prove that any theory of ‘tolerant extremist Hindus’ is farcical. “Coining terms like ‘Love Jihad’ for inter-religion marriages does not romanticize their cause at all,” he said. He also confidently mentioned about the Gujarat riots that any violence of such scale is impossible without state complicity.

While concluding, he said that democracy is not about majority rule, but protection of dissent and minority. Dr. Sheela Prasad led the discussion that followed.

Gen X Doles Out Diwali Dhamaka In Bollywood

It was indeed a special Diwali this year as Bollywood witnessed three releases – all by new age directors with a fresh perspective.

Big budget Blue, India’s first under water adventure movie, has many names to boast of. Kylie Minogue, the Australian pop star who is internationally famous, and our desi Oscar winners A R Rahman and Resul Pookkutty are just some of them. The man who made these stalwarts come together and also made a multi super star ensemble cast possible is Anthony Dsouza, taking his first shot at Bollywood. However, he is no novice and has a host of ad films under his belt.

Anthony must be making a toast now as Blue has emerged the clear winner in the Diwali race. It apparently grossed around Rs. 19 crore over its first weekend in India and made good business in the international market as well.

Not far behind is Prem R Soni who hit a jackpot by bagging Sohail Khan Productions to make Main Aurr Mrs. Khanna (MAMK). The movie that stars Salman Khan, Sohail Khan and Kareena Kapoor has a plot that deals with issues of love, career and marriage. However, the bad news is that the movie has been slammed by critics and has got a shoddy response from audience as well. The film did much better in the key international markets though; probably because of a never ending obsession that NRIs nurture for the institution of marriage.

The third Diwali release, All The Best, is also by a young director who already has two super hits to his credit – Golmaal and Golmaal Returns. Rohit Shetty made the film for his friend and producer Ajay Devgn and managed to earn him big money too. The producer may want to think it is because he dropped an ‘a’ from his name; but trade pundits say it is all thanks to Rohit’s mastery over comedy that made this no-brain laugh riot such a huge success.

No matter what verdict the cash registers will pronounce for these films in the coming weeks, it is heartening to see production houses pin not just their hopes, but big money too, on new talent. Even earlier releases like Kambakkht Ishqq (Sabbir Khan), Wake Up Sid (Ayan Mukherjee) and upcoming ones like Kurbaan (Rensil D’Silva) Pankh (Sudipto Chattopadhyay) point towards a healthy trend where freshness is preferred over experience.

It looks like Gen X is all set to rule Bollywood and how!

Equal Opportunity - Myth Or Reality?

Change should be initiated at home and mothers should ensure that their children grow up with a gender sensitive value system, opined the panellists at a discussion organised by the Times of India (ToI) at Taj Deccan, Banjara Hills on October 15.

The event was a part of the Vox Populi series that the newspaper organised in the city in the month of October, in collaboration with Manjeera Homes. ‘Equal Opportunity – Myth or Reality’ was the overarching theme. Has the legendary glass ceiling really been broken, or are the age old perceptions and traditional mindsets still in place when it comes to the Indian woman were some of the questions that the event tried to address.

Dr. Lavanya Kannaiyan (Paediatric Surgeon), Leena Sil (Senior Consultant, PWC), Chandrima Roy (Chief PRO, South Central Railway), Usha Reddy (Principal, Meridian School), Dr. Alladi Suvarna (Neurologist), Suchitra Ella (Bharat Biotech), Kanchan K Malik (University of Hyderabad) and Anjana Sinha (Inspector General of Police) participated in the panel discussion. It was moderated by the Resident Editor of ToI, Kingshuk Nag.

The discussion was carried out under several sub topics like ‘The superwoman expectation,’ ‘Progressive is loose,’ ‘Single woman still not accepted,’ ‘The new-age stridhan,’ ‘Sexual harassment,’ and ‘The sidelined homemaker.’ While the panellists did not have a consensus on personally experiencing sexual harassment or parents-in-law demanding their salaries, everyone agreed that such things happen in lower classes of the society. They also asserted that evolution was not an overnight process.

A group of youngsters present in the audience gave fresh male perspectives that were much needed to balance the opinions of an all-female panel. They pointed at the direction in which the younger generation is heading by citing examples from their lives – some prompting their homemaker moms to start working and some being proud of their girlfriends who earn more than them.

Mr. Nag, with his witty demeanour, made the event quite a lighthearted one despite the sombre theme of the discussion. Roli Srivastava, a senior reporter at ToI, took the lead in organising the event.

Maya Ravan Enthralls Hyderabad

The glorious mystique of Ramayana unfolded on the dais of Ravindra Bharathi as Shobana and her Kalarpana team performed Maya Ravan on Friday, September 18. The dance musical, choreographed and directed by the veteran actress, made an earnest attempt to skim through the entire scope of Ramayana highlighting the heroism of Ravana, while maintaining a bohemian jouissance and filminess.

Shobana, of course, was the centre of attraction. Although a lack of vigour was visible in her body language, her elegant frame and graceful movements made up for it. Archana Ganesan, who played the part of Sita, earned brownie points with the audience too.

An array of gifted voices lent believability to the mythical narrative. Naseeruddin Shah as Ravan was pure delight. The subtlety with which he rendered Ravana’s passion was out of the world. The atrocious Asura who threatens Janaka to give his daughter’s hand, the coy and love-struck demon who tries desperately to allure Sita, the penanced Rakshasa who confides helplessly in Mandodari – all the moods were safe in his experienced vocal cords. Other celebrity voices that Shobana put to use include Tabu as Mandodari, Rohini as Sita, Mohan Lal as Hanuman, Suhasini as Soorpanakha, Milind Soman as Rama, and Jackie Shroff as Dasaratha.

Maya Ravan boasts of a delectable compilation of music scores for its sound track. Put together by Ganesh Kumaresh, it forms the backbone of this epic dance drama. Tunes with an Arabian hint, Kurunthurai couplets, and soundtracks from the MGR era were all used efficiently to aid the narrative. Narumugaiye from Iruvar, one of A R Rahman’s all-time-bests, used as the signature love track for Rama and Sita, Chentharmizhi from Perumazhakkalam used during the Vanvaas sequence and Chinnamma Chilakamma from Meenaxi employed when Ravana naughtily disturbs Sita in Ashokavan were some of the delightful choices the crew made.

Maya Ravan acknowledges that it is inspired by the Ramayana Series by Ashok Banker. However, one genuine complaint that can be raised is that it did not do justice to its protagonist. Ramayana has enough variations that Shobana could have used to conceptually develop Ravana more. However, she chose to stick to the safe path and did not explore the possibilities that were available to demystify him further.

There were also cries that rose from the puritans that this performance should be bracketed out from ‘art.’ The criticism mainly rose from the fact that the performance was very ‘filmy.’ However, considering that Shobana had never made a claim that it was a pure Bharatanatyam performance, this is not a sound argument.

At one point in the dance drama, Ravana tells Sita, “Dharma can be interpreted differently by different people.” Art, too, can be defined and interpreted in various ways. Puritans may not agree, but Maya Ravan was art in one of the most entertaining avatars ever!

The opulent costumes added a great deal to the visual splendour of the production. Shobana herself had seven costume changes; others also indulged quite a number of times. It was remarkable how the colours of costumes were made to match the mood of particular scenes.